Travel guide

87 destinations

Looking for sun, sea and
culture? Book flights to Alicante and discover this vibrant city on the
Spanish Costa Blanca. Relax on one of the lovely sandy beaches or enjoy
the many water sports activities available on the Mediterranean Sea.
Admire the remnants...

Discover the cultural
riches of this charming world city. Book flights to Amsterdam and visit
the Anne Frank House or Van Gogh Museum before strolling through the
Vondelpark. Walking, biking or boating, cultural treats await you on
every corner. The...

Sun, sea and culture
combined in 1 city? Book flights to Barcelona and be inspired by FC
Barcelona’s magic, the finest boutiques and the tastiest tapas on every
corner. Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Casa Mila and Barcelona’s
many museums will delight...

Are you a fan of modern
art, good food and a great nightlife? Book flights to Berlin and immerse
yourself in this vibrant German city. Be inspired by the gallery
district Mitte and go shopping on the stately Kurfürstendamm. In Berlin,
you are always...

Discover the city of the
Little Mermaid. Book flights to Copenhagen to see how old and new come
together. Sample Danish cuisine, visit designer shops and explore
centuries-old palaces. There is much to see and do in laid-back
Copenhagen. With everything...

Do you enjoy travelling
with the whole family? Then book flights to Hamburg and experience this
fascinating German city. Marvel at the City Hall, visit the world-famous
harbour and relax among the animals at the giant Hagenbeck Zoo. Choose
from countless...

Discover the city where
East meets West. Book flights to Istanbul and immerse yourself in its
unique culture. Walk across the Galata Bridge, visit one of the
traditional hammams and take a romantic boat trip on the Bosporus. In
the Grand Bazaar and the...

Red telephone boxes and
black cabs characterise London’s city streets. Book flights to London
and you’ll return home with a mind full of cultural experiences and the
very latest trends in your shopping bags. Visit Buckingham Palace and
meet the Beefeaters...

Do you love museums, good
food and a varied nightlife? Then book flights to Madrid and discover
the Spanish capital. Stroll over the Royal Palace Square and go shopping
on the Gran Vía. If you’re lucky, Real Madrid football club will be
playing a home match...

Looking for a city break
full of cultural gems? Book flights to Milan and discover a place where
Gucci, Armani and Versace are as much a part of everyday life as an
espresso coffee. Art aficionados should head straight for Castello
Sforzesco, which houses...

Discerning What is God's Voice and What is Not

You have not experienced traffic until you have sat in the
border crossing between Tijuana - San Ysidro and San Diego for two
hours.
It is unlike anything you have ever seen. There is row after row of cars and it is bumper to bumper as far as the eye can see.

These are some of the experiences we had
when we first came to Mexico… border traffic as well as the huge traffic
circle that is right in the middle of Tijuana - cars don’t drive there
but they aim…

Fortunately, when we first arrived our family,
who had already been here and so they could show us around town a bit.
That way we could feel a little bit familiar in this extremely foreign
land.

It took us a while to realize that there are
times it is good to go to town while at other times it is best to stay
at home. Having been here a few years now we can judge when the traffic
will be difficult and when it will be more easy-going.

We now know where everything is and so when
somebody else comes to visit, we are the ones that can show them around.
We can show them the places that are good to visit and the places that
are not so good. We also know where to get the best and most traditional
tacos in town!

As a Prophet You Sometimes Feel Like Being in a Foreign Land

So what has this got to do with how to hear God's
voice? Well, as a prophet sometimes you feel like you are being thrust
into a world that is very different and foreign to you, especially if
you have only just discovered your prophetic calling.

It can be a little scary at times. Especially as
you start receiving revelation and you are not sure where to go from
there. You think that you are taking a good direction but you end up in a
traffic jam or in a bumper to bumper bashing with somebody else and
wonder what you did wrong!

Three Different Voices

In short, there are three different voices you
can hear in your heart. Sometimes, it’s the Lord who is speaking, other
times it can be the enemy and then it could also be you speaking to you -
in other words, the voice of your mind.

How do you discern between these three voices?
How do you know what’s God, how do you know what’s your mind and what’s
the enemy?

Well, I am here to help you with that and show
you the best route to go. Hopefully you will be able to go through your
prophetic training without getting into hot water and without making too
many mistakes.

On second thought though, being a prophet goes
hand in hand with making mistakes. It comes with the territory.
Regardless of that, I am hoping that you can reduce the level of the
mistakes you make.

The Voice of Your Mind

So, let’s jump right in and let’s take a look at
what the voice of your mind sounds like. How do you know if a revelation
that you are receiving is really of the Lord or if it’s just you coming
up with fancy ideas?

I would say that the most outstanding principle
is that your mind is logical. This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Think
about it for a while though. Your mind is logical. It is going to think
according to what you know, according to what you’ve read and according
to the thoughts you have in your mind.

So if you are getting a revelation that is
logical and you say to yourself, “Oh yeah, I expected God to say that!
Exactly, it makes sense…!” When you feel that way, I would be a little
cautious of that word and hold back a bit and wait for some
confirmation.

Why? It is called revelation because it is
something that was revealed to you that you didn’t know before. You
might have a sense in your spirit that God wants to do something or an
impression of perhaps where things are going. However, when God gives a
revelation even though it seems obvious when you get it, it’s new and
fresh. It is something you didn’t consider and didn’t think of before.

And so when you are working along and suddenly
you get this very logical idea and you think, “Oh yes, that’s exactly
what should happen and where we should go”, I would hold off on that for
a bit!

Your mind likes to play tricks on you and it will
be logical and that’s why it’s best to wait when you sense something
like this. Your mind will tell you what you like to think and what you
want to know.

So if you are in prayer and you get a revelation
that seems logical, I am not saying it’s entirely not of the Lord, I am
just saying that it probably needs to be worked through a little bit.
That is why it is so important to have people around you who can be
there as a confirmation.

If you don’t have anybody that you can pray or share with, know that we are always there for you. You can just drop us a line.

There is no better way to learn than to ask.
There is no better way than to discover your mistakes and your
shortcomings. See if you can see where you are messing up and then you
will surely know it when you get it right.

There is no better confidence booster than
knowing that you know that this word is of God and that you are saying
it with authority. It just gives you such faith that when you speak this
word it comes out with such power.

So don’t be afraid to sift through the
revelations and don’t be so naïve and arrogant to think that every
revelation you get is of God!

That would be really naïve because your mind
often works over time. Especially when you get too analytical and think
about everything from what God should do, what you want Him to do to
what this person should do. Then when you get a revelation you try and
fit it into all that.

You know, that’s why the revelation comes from
your spirit. Also, realize that you are not a teacher! You are a
prophet. You will hear me say that to you many times. I am not saying
that prophets are stupid dumb bunnies who walk around and don’t know
anything but I am saying that your reliance is not on your mind but on
your spirit and the revelation God gives you.

The only thing you should be feeding into your
mind is the Word of God! When you do that you can be sure that the
revelation that is coming up is of Him!

The Voice of the Enemy

Now how do you know when a revelation is directly from the enemy? For this I can give you some very clear pictures.

The first thing is that it will be really forceful.

You could be going about your business and the
next thing you know is you get this, “You have to drop everything now
and you have to go and tell this person that thing!”

This is not the voice of the Lord. The Lord is
gentle. He is the epitome of the English gentleman. He leads you by the
hand, opens the door and moves the chair for you… that is if you are a
lady of course. That is the picture of the Lord Jesus. He isn’t going to
slap you on the face, pick you up, run out of the door with you and
shout, “Speak to this person here!”

He doesn’t say, “Stop right here at the side of
the road and jump up to grab that person and tell them about me!” That
is not the Lord and it is not how He operates!

The more you come into that intimate relationship
with Jesus you will experience that more and more. He is not forceful!
He doesn’t jump on you.

When you see somebody operating in this way, let
me tell you, that is not the voice of the Lord! “You must do this now or
you will be cursed!” No, that is not the voice of the Lord Jesus. Did
you ever hear Him say that to His disciples? Did He ever say to them,
“You better go out now, two by two or I will curse you!”?

No, He sent them with a promise and said that He
would be with them and they would move in signs and wonders. They wanted
to go. In fact, He couldn’t hold them back from going!

The voice of the Lord doesn’t bring fear. Let’s
say you were perhaps in a meeting and you didn’t bring the prophetic
word and you think, “Oh, I had the word but didn’t bring it”, and now
you are so full of fear and guilt.

That is not the Lord at all. It is probably just
as well you didn’t open your mouth to speak because it may have been a
deception. When you experience that voice and the enemy will come many
times like that, he will play on your mind and he will push you and come
at you from without.

That is what I think you need to note because
that is probably the most outstanding difference between the voice of
the Lord and the voice of the enemy (evangelistic ministry aside here).

However, when you feel that push you end up
coming under guilt, you feel fear and curses start manifesting in your
life. Guess what? The voice that you were listening to was not the voice
of the Lord.

What if you Miss It?

What if the word is of God and you miss it…? So
what? You know we had old Elijah sitting there wailing about how tough
things were, about how he was the only prophet and the Lord said to him,
“I have a couple of other thousands that haven’t bowed their knee! You
are not the only one.”

Well, the same is true for you. If you miss it,
He is gracious. He has others that He can raise up. He is not dead! The
whole world doesn’t rest on your shoulders. I know, as prophets we
forget this. We think sometimes that if we don’t do it now and if we are
not the savior and we don’t jump in the world will stop turning.

We are simply servants doing His bidding and if
we don’t do His bidding He will raise up another. What is important is
that you keep your heart pure before Him. We are all going to miss it!
God is God. He can take care of it. He can even take care of your
mistakes if you just had more faith in Him than you did in your weakness
and failure!

So if you have these voices that are pushy, don’t
EVER run off and give into it. Instead STOP and wait for confirmation
and wait till your emotions have died down and wait to be sure of the
word.

Then when you are sure and God has confirmed and
you still feel the anointing, then step out in boldness. Then there is
nothing that can stop it.

The Voice of the Lord

The Scriptures say, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock and if any man answers I will come and eat with Him and he with me.”

The Lord Jesus is like that. He doesn’t come and
with a big pole to bash down your door to take your food off the table.
No, He knocks and He waits for you to answer. If you answer, then He
comes in. That is His nature and it is really the epitome of what the
Lord’s voice is like. He won’t come as a loud roaring river.

Perhaps at the beginning when you are not used
yet to getting revelation, you might feel the anointing quiet strongly
or you will feel like you have butterflies in your stomach. It might
come strongly at the beginning. However, relax if you find that the
manifestations of the anointing are not as strong anymore. It is okay!

It just means that you are growing up. It is
normal. At the beginning it is very strong and very intense and it is
all very exciting, but it does calm down because you are growing up. You
don’t need all the fluff; you don’t need all the big stuff to know that
this is God speaking to you.

Butterflies

The Lord will speak to you in a gentle voice most
of the time. If you are receiving a vision, you will just receive the
same vision a few times, gently. You will feel that stirring in your
belly almost like butterflies but not big ones, just little flatters and
you feel that excitement in your spirit.

It brings joy and life and you look forward to
sharing it. Now that’s the voice of the Lord. Of course also, in case
you haven’t heard this before, it will come with faith, hope and love.
Without that, how are you going to mature the Body of Christ?

So these are some ways that you can use to really
discern for yourself what the voice of the Lord is like. You know, as
you learn to identify this in yourself, you will also learn how to
identify it in others.

Somebody will stand up to speak and you will say,
“That is coming straight out of his head. There is no spirit or
revelation in it!”

Revelation, Not Logic

You know, that’s a very sad state when people who
are not spirit filled want to stand up and prophesy. They stand up and
talk logic.

Well, it’s logical to say that God will do this,
this and this and it is logical to assume the conclusion and they are
trying to give a prophetic word using their mind. They haven’t learned
to tap into their spirit yet.

You will find this in some denominations that
don’t believe in speaking in tongues but they believe in prophesying.
Well, try to stand up and speak a prophetic word without being filled
with the Holy Spirit, without being baptized… what do you think will
come out? Their mind!

Learn to recognize this. Learn to see when
somebody is really speaking from the Lord. Is it coming with that gentle
flow? Is it coming with that inspiring flow?

You know, it might not always be super gentle
because His sword can also be sharp but the point is it brings with it a
hope and expectation. It brings life to you and an expectation as to
what God will do!

Is that what the word is doing or is the word so strong and pushy that you feel backed into the corner?

Without the anointing, you cannot fulfill the work that God has given you to do.
I do not think that any minister of the Word would disagree with me
there. What you might not know, as one called as a prophet though, is
that when the Lord called you to do His work, the anointing was part of
the parcel that you received. Consider this passage:Luke 4: 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised,
In other words, if the Lord has called you to do a work, He has given you the power that you need to fulfill it as well.
I see so many praying for the anointing, as if it is something that
the Lord would deliberately withhold from you.You need to change your
thinking. The anointing and your calling are a complete package.
Key Principle: When the Lord called you, He gave you the anointing you needed to fulfill that call.
When this principle sinks in, you can spend less time asking God to
anoint you, and more time asking how to walk in His anointing by faith.
Many have a strange idea about the anointing though. They think of it
as something that comes and goes. You imagine that the Lord anoints you
just once, but then you must qualify for it again, and again.
Well, to a certain extent, that was true in days gone by. Before
Christ came - that is exactly what it was like when you needed the
anointing. The Holy Spirit descended on a great man of faith, and then
left him once the work was done.
Samson was a great example of this. The anointing would come upon him
suddenly, and when that happened, he accomplished incredible feats.
Once the anointing left him though, he was weak once again.
That is because Jesus had not yet died for our sins! Man was
contaminated through sin. They had to sacrifice often to atone and
“cover over” the sin in their lives. And so a very righteous God could
not reside with a very sinful man.
I often wonder to myself how hard it must have been in those days.
They had to keep the law using their will alone. They did not have the
Holy Spirit within to make right choices. They had to wait for God to
"come upon them" before they felt Him.
No wonder the coming of Christ was such a mind-blowing change of
thinking for the Early Church. For the first time, the anointing came…
and remained!1 John 2:27 But the anointing that you received from him remains
in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you: but as the same
anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie,
and just as it has taught you, you will abide in him.
I love this passage. John tells us here, that the anointing that they
received did not leave! It did not "come upon" and then "lift" from
them again, and again.
Instead of having to push through with pure willpower, they had a
"big brother" in their corner by the name of the Holy Spirit. For the
first time ever, a righteous God could dwell within a sinful man – all
because of the blood of Christ that washes away our sin.
When you understand this concept, you will not ask God again to "give
you the anointing again" but you will ask Him to increase what you
already have. You will ask Him for wisdom to use what is already in your
spirit.Then just as this scripture above says, that very anointing will
teach you what you need to do to fulfill your purpose.
In the next couple of chapters we are going to look at the New
Testament prophet. For it is the anointing that differentiates the Old
from the New Testament prophet quite considerably.
In the Old Testament, the prophet had to wait for God to suddenly
come upon him before he could speak. The same is not true of the New
Testament prophet.
Instead, when God calls and anoints you, He deposits that anointing
right inside of your spirit. That means you carry it with you everywhere
you go.
Now that does not mean that it is "your" anointing. It simply means
that you have a reserve of power in your spirit that the Holy Spirit can
use when He pleases. He does not need to wait for you to be “righteous”
according to the flesh, but He just needs to wait until you are
available.
Keep these simple principles in mind as we look in greater detail at
what we now have in Christ. You will learn that not only do we still
have the external anointing just like they had in the Old Testament, but
that we now have the internal anointing, which is depicted as streams
of living water.
This anointing is what sets you apart as a prophet. So let’s teach
you to tap into it, so that you can gush over the Church and bring it to
life!

Chapter 01

The Prophetic Anointing Defined

The first thing you need to know is that you already have the
prophetic anointing. If God has called you to the prophetic ministry,
you already have within you the anointing to get the job done.
That is the easy part. You know, so many people are confused. They
think that they have to hop from conference to conference to get the
prophetic anointing. No, you already have it. The part that is difficult
is learning to identify it and then to flow in it correctly. Defining the AnointingJohn 7:38 He that believes in me, out of his inward parts will flow rivers of living water.
As a child I was really blessed. I grew up living near many
recreational parks. My father, quite the adventurer, loved to take us
out on weekends to visit these parks.
There was one in particular that he liked to take us to. With its
rolling hills, it was the perfect place for some time alone. The best
part of all though, was the meandering river that cut through the hills
from one end to the other.
We would head out early, and spread our blanket out on the soft,
fragrant grass. A picnic would follow with lots of goodies. After we
were done, we would pack up, put all our stuff back in the car, and then
we would go walking. The Bubbling Brook
We would find the river and follow it as much as we could. We would
explore and see what there was to find: trees, stones, hidden ditches or
bridges. It was fun to seek out the perfect skipping stone to send
skimming over the water.
Even though this was years ago, just speaking about it, I can smell
the fresh soil and the plant life next to the river. I can hear the
sound of the water making a gentle chuckle as it flows over the rocks.
It is as real to me as if I went there yesterday. Each time I bring
this memory to mind, it brings with it that familiar feeling of peace.
The picture I painted is the perfect illustration of the prophetic
anointing. It is like a gentle, bubbling brook that brings peace, joy
and rest. It is not a mighty waterfall that comes splashing, picking you
up and tossing you around. No, that is the external anointing and that
comes by the will of God alone.
The prophetic anointing is something entirely different. It is a
gentle bubbling that originates from deep within you. If you would just
stop for a moment, you would come to realize that you have been
experiencing this for some time.
Perhaps you have been comparing yourself to other ministers and feeling a little insecure. The Mighty Waterfall – The External Anointing
You look at all these big revivalists and they bring a mighty
outpouring of the Spirit. People talk about the "fire" and the "water,"
and people are getting slain in the spirit in their meetings. You see
healings, miracles, shakings and a whole bunch of other stuff going on.
You take a step back and think, "Wow!"
You compare yourself to them and when you look inside, you think, "Here I stand with just my little bubbling brook."
You know, I had the opportunity to go to the Rheinfall in
Switzerland. It is the largest waterfall in Europe. It is absolutely
magnificent. The sound of the water is so loud that you have to shout at
one another to be heard.
It roars in your ears. A fine mist covers the whole river because of
the intensity at which the water hits the lake with below. It is
incredible.
I have been there a few times to visit, and each time has been
wonderful, but I didn’t spend hours there. You can only spend so long
staring at a waterfall, and well… you have seen a waterfall. It is
wonderful, it is magnificent and I take the experience home with me, but
it is a place I have visited as a tourist only once or twice.Waterfall vs. Brook
By comparison, as a child, when we went to the bubbling brook, I
could sit there for hours just quietly taking in the sounds and smells.
That sound refreshed my spirit. I could go back again, and again and
never grow weary of it.
It is great to have the great outpourings. We need them to be refreshed from time to time, but you can’t live there. Tapping Into the Anointing
What you have is an anointing that people can take home with them.
That when touched by it, continues to work within them. It is the kind
of anointing that I spoke about in the introduction from 1 John 2:27. It
is an anointing that abides.
You don't take a bucket of water and splash the water on their heads.
Rather you are releasing a bubbling brook into their spirits. You will
bring the spirit inside of them to life! It is an anointing that will
continue to bubble and flow like a beautiful spring that will come up
and feed them again and again.What It Feels Like
So when you experience the anointing, realize that it is going to
bubble from deep inside. I feel it right in the pit of my stomach. I
feel it sometimes like butterflies. It is like the feeling you get the
night before Christmas when you were hoping to get that "special
something." You lay in bed at night and you were so excited. Your
stomach did flips and you couldn't sleep - you couldn't eat. Well,
that's how I felt the night before I got married. I couldn't sleep the
whole night. I was so excited and terrified all at the same time.
That is what the internal anointing feels like. Now the first time
that you experience it, it is probably going to be pretty strong. Yes,
there are many different manifestations of the anointing, but I am just
just covering the prophetic anointing here.
It may start very strong at the beginning, or perhaps very gentle. It
will nudge you from deep within saying, "Hello, remember me? I am here,
I want to tell you something." That’s the Holy Spirit speaking inside
of you. How to Identify It
To hear that gentle voice you need to shut up. I know that you hear
me telling you to do that a lot, but by the end of this series you will
be used to me saying it. That is because as prophets, we either do not
know how, or find it really hard to sit quietly instead of shouting our
mouths off.
Key Principle: You need to learn to be quiet long enough to hear the voice of the Lord within.
You will feel this anointing as a gentle stirring. The Holy Spirit is
not going to run up to you, slap you on the side of the head and say,
"Prophesy."

It doesn't happen that way. He is going to gently remind you, and
that reminder is going to come from deep down inside. You are not living
in Old Testament times when the Lord had to wait for you to be
righteous before He could come upon you. Now He can speak to you from
within your spirit any time that He pleases. Your part in this
conversation is to be silent long enough to hear Him.How to Tap Into the Anointing
How are you going to tap into it? We know we have this river of
living water inside of us, and sometimes you even feel it. Now, what do
you do with it?
You need to realize that releasing this anointing is very much the
same as journaling. I have already taken you through the whole process
of decreeing, and journaling in the Prophetic Functions book. I will also teach you about intercession later on in this book.
So, by now you should be familiar with the stirring you feel inside
your belly. When you start to journal it feels slow, but the more you
write, the easier it gets. The anointing starts to flow and the words
flow faster than you can type - faster than you can speak. You feel that
bubbling coming up inside of you.
Well, that is the prophetic anointing that you have been
experiencing! You have been experiencing it all along. Now you need to
learn to use it when ministering. 1. Make Yourself Available
The first thing you need to do is make yourself available. Say now,
you are in a meeting, or somebody comes to you for prayer. You can only
say, "Lord, I am a vessel. I have got your living waters inside of me. I
open up my mouth and it is for you to fill it."
Key Principle: You tap into the anointing by making yourself available, desiring to be used by the Lord, and by stepping out in faith.2. Faith is the Key
You can learn to flow in the spirit this way. Once you identify the
river of living water inside of you, you can trigger it by faith at any
time. If I make a conscious effort to stop and tap into the anointing, I
can release that anointing any time I desire, because I am a prophet.
Now keep in mind that I am speaking about the anointing here, and
not the gifts of the Spirit! The gifts are only manifested by the Holy
Spirit. However, when those gifts do manifest, if you act in faith, the
anointing will follow.

Key Principle: The gifts: manifested as the Holy Spirit wills.The anointing that brings the revelation to pass: released by your faith.

When you reach prophetic office, you are going to realize that the anointing is available to you at any time.
3. It Remains in Your Spirit.
There are times though when people come to you and you need to tap into that anointing fast.
People sometimes need ministry at the most inconvenient times! The
doorbell rings, and you just had a fight with your spouse, the house is a
mess, you messed up at work that day, you stubbed your toe, and then
tripped over the dog on your way to answer the door.
There, standing in front of you, is someone saying, "Please could you pray for me?"
With an incredulous intake of breath, you think, "Are you kidding me,
Lord? The last thing I feel right now is your power. I had a horrible
day, and I don’t feel very spiritual at all at the moment."
Well then, just as well, the anointing is not dependent on you, hey? Thank goodness it depends on the Holy Spirit.
To read more, you can find Prophetic Anointing - Anointed to Worship in our online bookshop here: http://www.ami-bookshop.com/index.php?Product=988&format=2

WARSHIP LYRICS

"Empty Vessel"

The gaze is not about desire, it's a threat
To statues of falsehood that stood forever
and we forget every dream you're scared to chase
swallowed in the rapid pace of day-to-day-to-day
When the world has a virus from the core to the sky
Some try to salvage, some watch it die
I don't want to be a vacuole an empty vessel
Ignorant, in comfort and consolation
In the darkest hearts we have compassion if we choose
An alternate to self importance and filtered news
Should be shaken off our back
Banish the imposing pest
How can I protest?
When the world has a virus from the core to the sky
Some try to salvage, some watch it die
I don't want to be a vacuole an empty vessel
Ignorant, in comfort and consolation
Salvation
Heed the warming of the prophet condemning your course of action
Pinpoint the moment when it all began to come down

Prophecy is largely despised by the church. It has been surrounded
by misunderstanding, confusion, and fear. Yet, from the standpoint
of the Scriptures, the gift of prophecy is the most important
spiritual gift. Paul considers it vital to the upbuilding of
the church. Just what is the role of prophecy for the church
today?
Prophecy has been despised before. Moses, finally convinced
that God wanted to delegate his governing authority to a larger
number, called seventy elders to a "committee meeting"
at the tabernacle. Two failed to show up. The Spirit of God
fell on the sixty-eight who attended. But the Spirit also came
upon the two who remained in the camp who began to prophesy as
well. Every one wanted them to stop, uncomfortable at the direct
voice of God and jealous for Moses' uniqueness as God's prophet.
They reported the incident to Moses and demanded that he stop
them. One can almost see Moses chuckling, and then longingly
reflecting on the blessedness of the Spirit's presence in his
life: "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that
the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29).
Moses' dream began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost,
when the Spirit fell on the infant church and prompted them to
speak out in tongues the "mightinesses of God." Peter,
under the inspiration of the Spirit, interpreted the phenomenon
thus:

This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And
in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants
and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy...." (Acts 2:16-18 quoting
Joel 2:28-29)

Amazingly, Peter classifies the Pentecost expression of tongues
as a variety of the prophetic gift. The New Testament Scriptures
make it clear that the Spirit is a universal gift to the church,
and that prophecy is the characteristic gift of the Spirit. The
Apostle Paul indicated that the gift of prophecy was for every
believer: "For you can all prophesy one by one..."
(1 Corinthians 14:31; see also vss. 5, 24). As we desire the
renewal of the church this expectation of the universality of
prophecy among God's people fills us with hope.[1]
If we take Paul's letter to the Corinthians seriously, we must
come to the conclusion that the gift of prophecy is indispensable
to the church. When we try to build churches without this gift
being active, it is like trying to walk across America on crutches:
it can be done, but it is certainly the hard way. The importance
of the gift of prophecy is seen from from Paul's urgency for it.
He commands the Corinthians to "earnestly desire to prophesy"
(1 Corinthians 14:39; see also 12:31 and 14:1). In all the various
lists and discussions of the gifts in Paul's letters the only
constant gift is prophecy.[2] Whenever Paul makes an attempt
to classify the gifts in terms of importance, prophecy is given
preference over all the rest (1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Thessalonians
5:19f). Only in the two passages where Paul speaks of gifted
men (prophets) rather than of the gift (prophecy) do prophets
fall into second place behind apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians
4:11; cf. Ephesians 2:20).[3]
As God led me in my study of the gift of prophecy, I was convicted
by the Apostle's command: "Earnestly desire to prophesy"
(1 Corinthians 14:39; see also 12:31; 14:1). My zeal (Greek zeloo)
to prophesy or encourage prophecy in the church certainly was
not conformed to the Word. But as I discovered what God intends
prophecy to do for His church, my desire and faith for the gift
increased. Why is prophecy so important? Just what is its purpose?
Its several functions may all be subsumed under the purpose of
building up the Church. Since love for the brethren is to be
the motive for desiring the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 13),
the purpose is to build up the brethren. The Greek word oikodome
was first used of building houses, temples, and pyramids, but
quickly moved to a figurative sense in secular Greek.[4] In the
context of spiritual gifts it means "building" as a
process, "construction" and is "figurative of spiritual
strengthening, edifying, edification, building up."[5] The
Spirit of Christ is fulfilling Jesus' promise, "I will build
(oikodomeo) my church ..." (Mt 16:18). The Spirit
is in the business of constructing people and the community.
The ways in which prophecy builds up the body are spelled out
in detail in 1 Corinthians 14.

Exhortation and Encouragement

Exhortation and assurance are two common purposes of prophecy.
Paul contrasts tongues (a Godward speaking) with prophecy (a
manward message): "He who prophesies speaks to men for their
upbuilding (oikodome) and encouragement (paraklesis)
and consolation (paramuthia; 1 Corinthians 14:3)."
Paraklesis has a wide range of meaning. Its root carries
the idea "to call alongside to help." The word can
denote "encouragement, exhortation." The range of meaning
of parakelsis in verse 3 extends from "admonishment"
(e.g. to "live a life worthy of the gospel", Hebrews
13:22; cf. Romans 12:1) to "loving encouragement" (e.g.
during affliction, 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3). Another idea expressed
by paraklesis is "appeal, request," even "pleading".
The word also extends to the idea of "comfort, consolation"
(Romans 15:4; Colossians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 1:3f).[6] Jesus promised
that the Holy Spirit would come to His followers as "another
Paraclete," One who would come alongside to the disciples
them (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).[7] A vitally important way
the Spirit is fulfilling this ministry of paraklesis is
through the exhortation, appeal, and comforting assurance of the
prophetic word.
Paul uses the word paramuthia in 1 Corinthians 14:3 alongside
paraklesis to explain the purpose of prophecy. This word
means "encouragement," especially "comfort, consolation,"[8]
but is difficult to distinguish clearly from paraklesis.
It derives from para, "beside" and muthos,
"speech, word, saying." In classical Greek it could
refer to "any address, whether made "for the purpose
of persuading, or of arousing and stimulating or of calming and
consoling.[9]
Exhortation to obedience and service as well as encouragement
and comfort from the Spirit to those experiencing pain and trouble
are one aspect of the Spirit's building up of the church through
prophecy.

A Specific Revelation for the Occasion

Revelation is the particular characteristic of prophecy which
sets it off from preaching and teaching. Indeed, one of the primary
ways the Spirit builds up the church is by means of prophecy's
revelation. Although the gift of prophecy has a great breadth,
we should not imagine that its primary purpose is the setting
forth of doctrine, even though "instruction" was part
of its original function (1 Corinthians 14:19). Rather, the gift
of prophecy was a revelation from God with a word for the particular
moment.[10] Cecil Robeck observes,
Prophecy appears to be given with an existential value in
mind. It is given through a specific individual, to a specific
individual or group of individuals, at a specific place, and within
a specific time frame. Within that context it may be said to
have a specific message with specific value.[11] A glance at
the prophets mentioned in the early church certainly underlines
this conclusion. Agabus' two recorded prophecies were specific
predictions, revelations (Acts 11:27-30; 21:10-11). At the Antioch
church the Spirit spoke through a prophet to confirm Paul and
Barnabas in their missionary calling (Acts 13:1-2). Grudem observes,
"Prophecy, then, is superior to the other gifts because the
revelation on which it depends allows it to be suited to the specific
needs of the moment, needs which may only be known to God."[12]
The great value of prophecy to the church today is the contemporary
Word of God to encourage and guide His people.[13] The prophetic
message is "a word fitly spoken" (Proverbs 25:11), directly
from God, "good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that
it may impart grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).

Conviction

A specific revelation can be particularly powerful in bringing
conviction of sin and of God's presence to unbelievers or backsliders
who are present in a church gathering. Paul suggests to the Corinthians
how prophecy can work in this way:
If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he
is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets
of his heart are disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will
worship God and declare that God is really among you (1 Corinthians
14:24-25). For the outsider, prophecy can be a powerful sign
of God's presence among His people.
Problems with individuals in the body or with the body itself
may also be pinpointed by the gift of prophecy. James Dunn observes,
"Prophecy prevents a man pretending to be other than he is--prevents
the believer hiding behind a mask of pretended righteouness, of
apparent spirituality. At any time the prophetic word may expose
him for what he is."[14] Thus prophecy builds up the church
by converting the unbeliever and purifying the believer.
The variety of ways the church is built up by prophecy accentuate
its necessity for the present day church. Words of comfort and
assurance, words of pleading, words of exhortation and admonition,
words of exposure and correction--all of these are designed by
the Spirit to bring and maintain renewal in Christ's church.
We cannot afford to despise the gift of prophecy. Nor can we
allow its capacity for misuse and misunderstanding prevent us
from embracing it. Rather we must diligently seek to curb its
abuses by the guidelines of Scripture and "test all things"
(1 Thessalonians 5:20-21), so that the great constructive value
of prophecy may be experienced by our churches.[15] Through this
unique spiritual gift the church is enabled to grow, mature and
move forward according to the will of God. "Make love your
aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that
you may prophesy ... so that the church may be edified" (1
Corinthians 14:1, 5).

Notes
[1] That Luke and Paul believed that any believer could prophesy
is affirmed by a number of New Testament scholars, e.g. James
D. G. Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (Philadelphia: Westminster
Press, 1975) p. 170; Gerhard Friedrich, "prophetes,"
in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [abbreviation
TDNT], eds. G. Kittel and G. Friedrich, trans. G. W. Bromiley
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, ET 1964-1974 [1933-1972]) VI, p. 849;
and Wayne Arden Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians
12-14, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge,
1978 (now published as The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians
[Washington, D.C: University Press of America, 1982, with different
pagination.]), p. 246.
[2] Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28ff; 13:1-3, 8ff;
14:1-5, 6ff, 26-32; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22.
[3] Dunn, pp. 227-228.
[4] Otto Michel, "oikodomeo," in TDNT,
V, p. 137.
[5] W. Bauer, W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek- English
Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957)p. 532, oikodome,
1,B,a.
[6] See Otto Schmitz, "parakaleo," in TDNT
V, pp. 793-799.
[7] An extended treatment is found in my unpublished paper,
"Theology of the Spirit in the Fourth Gospel," 1974,
pp. 15-17.
[8] Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, p. 626.
[9] Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, reprinted 1962, 1889 edition),
p. 485. See also Gustav Stahlin, "paramutheomai,"
in TDNT V, pp. 816-823.
[10] See Michael Green, I Believe in the Holy Spirit
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), p. 170; David Hill, New Testament
Prophecy (New Foundations Theological Library; Atlanta: John
Knox Press, 1979), p. 127; and Dunn, p. 230.
[11] Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., "Problems in the Contemporary
Use of the Gift of Prophecy" (an unpublished paper given
at the Society for Pentecostal Studies, November 14, 1980), p.
13.
[12] Grudem, p. 187.
[13]God guided the early church in Jerusalem through prophecy
to escape the siege of the city. Eusebius records, "But
the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a
revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to
leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called
Pella" (Church History, III, 5, 3).
[14] Dunn, p. 232.
[15] Careful judging of prophecy is important so that the gift
is honored in the congregation. For guidelines in judging prophecy,
see Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., "How Do You Judge Prophetic Utterance?"
Paraclete 11 [Spring 1977], p. 15; Robeck, "Problems";
Bruce Yocum, Prophecy: Exercising the Prophetic Gifts of the
Spirit in the Church Today (Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1976),
pp. 106-118; and Ralph F. Wilson, The Holy Spirit as the Agent
of Renewal, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Fuller Theological
Seminary, 1984, pp. 149-154.
This article is part of a chapter on prophecy in Ralph F. Wilson,
The Holy Spirit as the Agent of Renewal, unpublished doctoral
dissertation, Fuller Theological Seminary, 1984, pp. 149-154.
The three articles in this series found in the Christian Articles
Archive are: (1) Is Preaching Prophecy?
(2) The Purpose of Prophecy Today and (3) Beginning to Prophecy

10 Biblical Reasons why Jesus Died on the Cross (A Good Friday Devotion)

Martin
Luther once referred to the Gospel as a treasure chest. I love that
metaphor and I want to use the same illustration for today’s devotional.
Like opening a treasure chest and admiring its rubies, pearls and
sapphires, I want us to handle carefully these Scriptures of great
value. I want us to feel the worth of Christ's sacrifice today that will
cause us to worship deeply.

See, in our self-centered
culture, we have made the Gospel self-centered. Somehow we believe that
the reason God loves us is because we are lovable. When people think
this way, even subconsciously, we are disregarding the valuable jewels
of Scripture.

God is not glorified when I think He loves
me because I’m lovable. Rather, what makes the gospel beautiful is that
because I am so unlovable, God still chooses to love me. In that God is
glorified! “But God shows his love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ dies for us”
Romans 5:8. My aim in sharing this devotional is for you to ponder and
reflect why Biblical reasons why Jesus came to die on the cross.

#1. He came to seek and to save sinners “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

I’m
so glad God did not come for the elite or the popular or the wealthy.
Christ made it very clear who the gospel is intended for, “those who are lost.”

Several
years ago, I was preaching in Cairo, Egypt at the Harvest Conference. I
spoke from Luke 15:1-7 where Christ seeks out the one lost sheep. My
opening statement in that Muslim dominated land was, “The greatest
distinction with Christianity is that in all other religions of the
world, man is seeking God. In Christianity, we see God seeking man.”

How
beautiful is it that Christ came to seek and save those of us who were
lost! I’ll never forget an older man, probably in his early 70’s coming
up to me after the service with tears in his eyes. In broken English he
said, “All my life I have searched for Christ. Tonight, Christ found
me!” Why did Jesus come to die on the cross? So He could seek and save
those who are lost. What a Savior!

#2. He came to glorify His father“When
Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may
glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give
eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life,
that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have
sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you
gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the
glory that I had with you before the world existed.’” John 17:1-5

There
is enormous truth packed into this short prayer that Christ prayed
before facing the cross. Jesus models to us how we should glorify God in
our lives.

First, He teaches us to glorify God before we face difficulties. Notice as Christ prays, He says, “Father, the hour has come.”
He knew His work on the earth was finishing and it was now time to face
the cross. He looked to glorify God through the darkest hour of His
life. Are you and I looking to glorify God, even while going through
hard and difficult seasons?

Second, He glorified the Father with the time He had on the earth.
Notice what He says in this prayer, “…having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
Can we say this about our lives? Are we focused on accomplishing what
God has put us on the earth for or are so busy, so distracted and so
overwhelmed that we are missing what we are really put here to do? Lastly, Christ tells how to obtain eternal life. “That they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
I love that phrase. Why did Jesus have to die? So that you and I could
have eternal life through knowing God the Father through His death!

#3. He came to cancel our record of debt “By
canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal
demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the
rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over
them in him.” Colossians 2:14

Do you realize there is a “record of debt” that “stands against” you? When I ponder the record of debt I have, I think of Romans 5:20, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass…”
Remember when Jesus taught that if you look at a woman with lust then
it as if you committed adultery in your heart? Christ says that if you
hate someone it’s the same as committing murder in your heart? The law
adds to our list of sins.

So you may think you’re a good
person because you’ve never done anything real bad. But if Christ showed
you the sin that is in your heart and the sin you are capable of, you
would see just how big your “record of debt” really can be.

But
here is the good news, Christ took that record of debt, (which in the
Greek refers to a handwritten document like a promissory note. It’s an
admission of guilt saying that we are responsible for our sins). Christ
took that record of debt and nailed it to the cross! He canceled our
debt of sin! Why did Jesus come to die? To not only forgive our sins,
but to completely take them away (John 1:29).

#4. He came to give power to the Gospel “For
the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us
who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

I
love the contrast Paul makes. He draws the line in the sand and boldly
says the message of the cross is foolishness to those who perishing.
However, for those of us who love the cross, we love the sacrifice
Christ made, to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

Why
did Paul say, “to those who are perishing”? I always find it
interesting when I’m watching tv and Hollywood makes fun of “Born Again
Christians.” It happens a lot. The phrase born again gets thrown around
and stomped in the mud often. But you know those are precious words.
Why? Because the Bible teaches in Ephesians 2:1, that we are “dead in the trespasses of sin.” Until we become born again, we don’t have the life of God or eternal life within us.

In the next phrase, Paul says, “…but to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” What does he mean by those of us who are being saved? 1 Peter 1:23 says, “Since you have been born again” and 1 Peter 1:3, saying that God has “caused us to be born again to a living hope” we are now a “new creation in Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Jesus said, “Unless a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”
John 3:3. The next time you hear a tv show mocking being “born again”
you should pause and thank God for allowing you to be born again!

Is it not interesting that God would take the lowliest death of that day to display His power? Does it not echo Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord”?
Knowing that God chose the cross, for it was never Plan B…it was plan A
from the before the world was created. Read Revelation 13:8, “…Belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” No wonderful Paul was able to exclaim “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” Romans
1:16. Why did Jesus die? Because His death, burial and resurrection is
the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:4) and it is the power of the gospel (1
Corinthians 1:18 and Romans 1:16).

#5. He came to heal us from disease and sicknesses “That
evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he
cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was
to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses
and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:16-17

Do you know
why sickness is in our world? It came through sin. The calamity of sin
was so great, that it brought sickness and death upon mankind. They are
that closely related. So when Jesus came to die on the cross, He came
not only to conquer sin…He came to conquer sickness. That’s why, as
Christians, we can pray and stand against sickness. Just as God can save
from sin, He can save from sickness!

Now does that mean
Christians won’t struggle against sickness? No! Even Christians have to
fight against sickness. Why? Because we still live in a fallen world, we
feel the effects of sin and sickness both. But what it does mean is
that because Christ not only died for our sins, but for our sickness, we
can pray for one another the Bible says that the prayer of faith can
heal the sick (James 5:15). If you are suffering in your body some type
of illness, ponder deeply Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

#6. He came to destroy the works of the devil and the power of death “Since
therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise
partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those
who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Hebrews
2:14

The author of Hebrews confirms why Jesus came to
die on the cross. Listen to his godly logic…since humanity is flesh and
blood, Jesus “likewise partook of the same things.” Meaning, He became
flesh and blood through the Virgin Birth. Remember John 1:14, “And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The
result of Christ being willing to be made flesh is that now He could
die a death that had the power to destroy Satan, the one who had the
power of death, and as a result, freeing us who were in slavery to Satan
and had a fear of death.
Now there is no need for me and you to
fear death. Isn’t that an audacious statement? In my flesh, I fear
death. But in my spirit and through faith, there is no need to fear.
Why? Because Satan no longer has the “power of death.” Christ stripped him and robbed him of that power (Colossians 2:15).
Now what happens to a Christian once he dies? We belong to the Lord! Romans 14:8, “For
if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So
then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” That means whether we are on this side of eternity or on the other side of eternity, we are the Lord’s!

#7. He came to take on our sin and to make us righteous “For
our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Just ponder the first phrase of this verse, “For our sake.”
Isn’t that beautiful? It’s beautiful because it is personal. I’m so
glad God isn’t distant. He is a personal Savior. For our sake, Christ
allowed Himself to become sin. For what purpose? So that through Christ,
you and I might become the righteousness of God.

Remember
the worst sins of your life? You know those things that no one else
knows except you and God? Yet God still chose to make you righteous! See
why these Scriptures are as treasure?

What does it mean
to be righteous? It means to be a “right standing” before God. Remember
when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and what they did? They
hid from God. Sin causes us to hide. Righteousness means we can stand
upright before a just and holy God. You and I could have never
accomplished this on our own. It is only through the work of Christ on
the cross. So why did Jesus come to die? To make us the righteousness of
God!

#8. He came to bring us peace “But
he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and
with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

So
many are not at peace with God, as a result they are not at peace with
themselves and for many, they are not at peace with others in their
lives. One of the wonderful results of Christ’s death is that it brought
us peace with God.

#9. He came to reconcile us to God – Ephesians 2:16 “And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” Ephesians 2:16

Christ
came to die on the cross because of the hostility between humanity and
God. When Adam ate the fruit in the garden that God forbade, mankind
rebelled against God in a way that affected all of mankind. Romans 5:12
explains it, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one
man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all
sinned.” Sin has always brought death and always will. This is the great
calamity of sin. But God had a plan!

Christ came to
reconcile man to God through the cross. Man still rebels against God.
Man still refuses the terms of grace and the mercy God offers. It’s the
same pride, same rebellion, same sin that has plagued man for all of our
history. Yet Christ came to kill the hostility between God and man and
to reconcile us to God.

#10. He came to absorb the wrath of God
“In
this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent
his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

The
Bible tell us how God has demonstrated His love toward us. Again
confirming His fierce love in 1 John 4:10 He says, “In this is love.” In
what? Not that we would choose to love God. We don’t have the ability.
Sin ruined that in us. We are fallen. We are broken. We are unable. We
who do love God, only love Him because He first loved us. Do you see how
God is glorified in this? I couldn’t choose to love God. He had to love
me first and how did He show His love? He sent His Son! No wonder Paul
says, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift” 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Then
the Bible gives us a remarkable word…Propitiation. This word has an
incredible meaning. It means that Christ became our substitute to absorb
the wrath of God. See God is angry with sin. It’s against His very
nature. One commentator reminds us that if God kicked out 1/3 of the
Heavenly angels for sinning, what makes us think He will look over our
sin?

Sin is a serious offense to God. John Piper has
wonderfully said, “Sin is not small because it is not against a small
Sovereign.” If God is just, then He must punish sin. Now here is the
beauty of why Christ came to die on the cross…

Christ
became the substitute for God’s wrath. God did not waive His wrath…He
did not ignore it or pass over it. Christ took the very wrath of God on
the cross and like a sponge, absorbed the wrath meant for me and you.
Let that thought that Christ took the anger of God over sin on our
behalf wash over your heart.

So for those of you who fear
that God is angry with you…He isn’t! For those who can’t past your past
and you dread the day you will stand before God and you worry that one
day your past sins will catch up to you…remember, Christ absorbed the
wrath of God for you! He became your propitiation…your substitute!